Admiral reports British parking habits getting many hot under the collar

Admiral has revealed new research which suggests parking a car can be a controversial issue, with more than one in six motorists saying they have argued with a neighbour over a parking space and almost one in five admitting they have parked illegally.

Car insurance expert Admiral surveyed 2,500 motorists to find out their habits when it comes to parking. It found that 16% of them have argued with a neighbour over a space. Regionally, motorists in the North West are the most likely to get into a row over parking, compared to those in Scotland who are least likely to.

Sue Longthorn, Admiral managing director, said: "For something we probably do every day it would seem parking can cause problems, with many motorists getting into an argument with a neighbour over it. As our roads get more crowded, we want to ensure we have our own parking space, preferably outside our own home, but this really isn’t something worth getting into a row about."

Admiral also found that while four in ten motorists have never had a parking ticket, the average motorist has received 1.7 tickets. This could be because 18% of respondents said they sometimes park illegally on double yellow lines. This is much more common among men than women, with 22% of men compared with 13% of women saying they do it. In Wales, nearly one in four admitted they park illegally, the highest of any part of the UK. At the other end of the table, only 14% of motorists in Yorkshire and the East Midlands said they have done it.

Getting a ticket for parking illegally is most likely to happen in London. Londoners said they have had the highest number of parking tickets, with an average of 3.9. Only 21% in London have never had a ticket, perhaps not surprising considering the number of traffic wardens in the capital.

What is a surprise is that despite having the highest percentage admitting to parking illegally, Wales also has the highest percentage of motorists who have never had a ticket, with 50%. This compares with 40% across the UK as a whole.

When it comes to how drivers park, only 2% said they don't always try to park considerately in car parks. However twice that figure, 4%, admitted they have parked in a space reserved for disabled motorists.

Motorists appear to be more willing to use spaces reserved for parents with children when they shouldn’t. One in eight owned up to doing this, and perhaps surprisingly, just as many women as men said they have done it.

Sue Longthorn continued: "Thankfully relatively few people admitted they park how or where they shouldn't. Using a disabled space when you’re not permitted or parking inconsiderately in a car park can be particularly selfish and can cause problems for other road users. We'd just ask all motorists to think of others when choosing where to park their car."

All figures, unless otherwise stated, are from YouGov Plc. Total sample size was 2,500 adults who have a drivers licence and at least one car in their household. Fieldwork was undertaken between 6th - 9th May 2011. The survey was carried out online.

About Admiral:

Admiral, (a trading name of EUI Ltd) launched in 1993, and is part of Admiral Group plc. It was set up to target those motorists who traditionally pay higher than average premiums, including those under-35, living in cities or driving hot hatches.